Computer systems may include storage for storing items generated by a system. The storage may be local, remote, or a combination of the two. For example, the items may be stored on a local or networked hard drive, flash drive, or optical drive. Items may be, for example, files or other data structures. The items may include files that have been downloaded or otherwise received by a system without being created or modified by a user.
Conventionally, a computer system may store tens of thousands of items, many of which may have similar names and are stored using a large and confusing directory structure. A user looking for a specific file may search for the file by specifying a name of the file or another identifying attribute, such as a file type or a date of file creation. The search may be lengthy and consume large amounts of system resources, thereby slowing system response. Additionally, a user may be unable to provide an adequate search request based on the attributes associated with the item that the user remembers.
Thus, what is needed is a storage searching process without the limitations of conventional techniques.